Thoughts of a Fool

Interlude

2009-01-21T08:41:00.000+08:00

存在，是不可以解釋的一種自然現象。
因為存在，才慢慢地明白。

Existence, is a natural phenomenon that cannot be explained in words.
You exist, therefor you understand.

Aimless Souls

2009-01-20T03:38:00.000+08:00

Aimless souls roam the streets, looking for a shelter in the midst of a monotonous buzz.

The buzz in the air, from the electronic noise, from the hymn of the motor engines, from the accumulated human chatter.

Aimless souls, where would you go? What do you seek? Who am i to call you an aimless soul?

虚伪的人心，空掉了人情。
那令人做呕的提笑，嘻嘻哈哈里深藏着狸子的道德。

狼化吧，漂泊的亚当。

Ponder_ing

2009-01-19T12:24:00.004+08:00

There are many times in life, that one would ponder over our existence.
life in general, is measure in time. and if time does not register, do we stop growing/aging?

the mortification of death, applying of taboos on the usually uncontrollable, is it a mean to stop us from pondering beyond the beyonds?

people often have ambitions, dreams or goals in their lives.
how many of these people, wish upon the brightest star, that they would pass on happily and seeks out the method/way to do so?

i once read this line, from a book i can't remember. (likely to be from angela's ashes)
"The single most noble act that we do each day, is deciding to not to die"

The Link
http://www.wehavedecidednottodie.com/

The Video
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3x1sp_we-have-decided-not-to-diedaniel-as_creation

Ten Things to Do to be Comforted

2008-06-12T12:55:00.000+08:00

Ten things to do to be comforted.
Well, at least they worked for me.
(random numbered list)

1. Go pigeon watching
2. Pop them bubbles (on those bubble sheets used for packing)
3. Starting a domino fall (hear the stacking sound and look at the falling sequence)
4. Blowing bubbles
5. Lighting a matchstick (and watch the amber move along the stick)
6. Looking at a plastic bag on a windy day (they become alive)
7. Talking to myself in the mirror (yes, it sounds a little like someone with mania depression would do. it actually works)
8. Tearing paper, with your hands (yes, you can tear it in other ways, perhaps in a way we wouldn't want to know)
9. Scratch off paint droplets from the flooring (especially from tiles. they would pop and jump)
10. Talk to a stranger (in any ways you want. guess that's why call-a-friend stuffs are still around)

A Story from a Wise Friend

2008-05-16T14:51:00.004+08:00

A friend told me this story over lunch yesterday.

There was this man named Michael Ng.
He's married with one child.

One day, the child approached his mother, wanting to discuss something.
His mum told him that he would need to talk to his dad for it.
And so, he waited for daddy to come home.

When Michael came home, the boy approached his father and said, "Daddy, i have something that need your help, would you have an hour for me?"
Michael, being a busy person, told his son, "Daddy's busy, i have to go out in a while, look for mummy okie?"

Thus, it ended as it is. The child did not manage to talk to Michael.

About a week later, as Michael was almost reaching home, he bumped into his neighbour.
"Hi Michael"
"Hi, how are you doing?"
"Great. anyway, i see John taking money from Uncle Tan yesterday. You are already allowing him to work part time? wah, very tough on a child. "
"Oh...maybe my wife approved of that. thanks for telling."

John had been doing housework and running errands for the neighbours.
He gets roughly ten dollars a day; cleaning windows, walking dogs, sweeping the backyard...etc.

When Michael got home, he asked for John.
"John, come here!"
John walked to his father.
"Why did you take money from Uncle Tan?"
Then Michael gave a slap to John's face, without waiting for a reply.

"Michael! what are you doing?!"
"You, why did allow your son to work? don't i bring back enough money for the family?"
"Of course you do. so what's the big deal about it? do you know why John did what he did?
It's all because of you!"
"Don't you try to be defensive and not admit your mistake."
"Your son wanted to work, so that he can save up a 100 dollars to buy 1 hour of your time."

That fine day, after Michael told John to look for mummy again, she told him that daddy's time is precious and he can make a 100 dollars an hour.
Thus, John had been working for the past week, earning 10 dollars a day. Perhaps~ he could use that money to purchase some of his daddy's time.

[had been writing a lot less over here and more frequently on my facebook. maybe it's time to shift again soon. perhaps to wordpress]

a walking tornado

2008-03-05T17:19:00.000+08:00

face it, we're primal, in many ways that we would not admit at times.
Girls with great legs plus a skirt helm that sits just slightly below the butt; eats up attention from young and old, male and female alike. You just can't not look, especially when she is taking the steps, or when the bloody wind has to do some whipping. (visualize it, seriously, you would look)
The wonder of it all, (or the amazement) comes when this walking tornado sweeps in front of a couple from behind. Darnit, the reaction is standard. "the guy takes a quick look. Stops. The girl sees, stares. Looks at the girl or talks about the girl. And the guy would say, oh. And tries to avoid further discussion while he darts a look whenever he could." else, he'll just look back, as if someone had just shouted his name out loud if the tornado happened to walk in the opposing direction.
Really, it's an amazing phenomenon to observe.

So, now, does the tornado knows that she is like a walking destructo? (is she enjoying it? Or just loves the attention?)
It doesn't really matter if the girl is pretty, that would be a bonus, but any girl would draw mass attention...then again, even if it's a guy, he would well darn draw them attentions as well. (just that it'll be eew instead of wow)
Hope you'll see a walking tornado soon, or be one yourself. (coz darnit, the tornado is like standing two metres away from me now, and one dude is just like indecisive...to stare to look or to glance.) "any other action will be futile, hear the animal within ya shouting -check it out!-"
*Wahaha! The jester laughs at thee*

Just a pinch of salt

2008-03-05T17:13:00.000+08:00

Give or take, that's they say, so that we can be in a state of well being.
Some other people might even say, take life with a pinch of salt, there isn't something that is really worth that much frustration or excitement. Maybe, taking that pinch of salt will help you live longer. (just a pinch is fine, not too much)
is the nature of people more transactional or transformational?
When you do something with intent, that is transactional. Like it or not, you want something back, be it as simple as a word of courtesy, appreciation, apology, acceptance...etc. You want something back.
If i am right, and people are transactional whenever they do things with intent, then we are simply trading favors and emotions all the time with expectations. Waiting for recipocation. (think i spelled this wrongly, oh wells, you get it)
Which, in the ideal case, will never allow us to be happy. (not talk about religion and karma and reincarnation and stuff)
How then, might we really find happiness? How...
Maybe, just maybe, taking things with a pinch of salt might just be it. It has to be. If the logic is right. Just tell me when ya succeed in doing it. I'm simply too lazy to try it out.

Disappearing Act

2008-03-05T17:10:00.003+08:00

The Fool Walks, Not with His Head, hunting for the Pot of GoLd~

"i had been away for too long, not from writing, but simply from writing on blogspot."

Habit of Spending: Make the World Goes Round

2007-11-22T12:56:00.001+08:00

Generation differs; Habits and Value Changes

"Fifty cents bigger than ox-cart wheel," was what our predecessors lived by.
They valued money, and saved every cent they can manage. Getting by with life with bare necessities; all in the mentality of saving for the rainy day.

"We earn to spend." This is the motto of the current generation. What is the purpose of money and running a rat race, if not to spend them all with zeal and gusto?

Cost of living increases each day on a global basis, are people able to do what they want to?

Standard of living is relative.
People can live a contented life; regardless of the amount they earn.

Spending, as a habit, is more important than it is for us on a individualistic point of view.
We save, so that we can spend. Each of us come to this world without anything, each of us cannot
bring anything along with us as we leave as well.

By learning to spend, we create a need for a job in another place, for another person, who in turn
can spend on a certain thing, which might be a contributing factor to our pay check at the end
of the month.

Spend, make the world go round.

images taken from rebranca46

Ode to Thy Soul, Confusion in the Making

2007-09-23T04:10:00.000+08:00

I sit here in a distant land, transfixing my glance at a rotating sign board in pink and yellow, advertising tea or coffee at a dollar and a johnny walker banner that is spelled in reverse.

I sit here pondering about existence, why on earth do we call one, one. Isn't it possible for one to be called two and have the same meaning. Why on earth is fidelity a virtue and promiscuousness frowned upon, even by ourselves?

Questions after questions cycles around my head. Sometimes they take an easy stroll, sometimes they sprint around, threatening to wear out my mental track. When they are sprinting around, i write to put them to put them in their place, slowing them down as my fingers ain't as fast as my thoughts.

The elusive rabbit hops on all fours, with no given pattern or habits.
The elusive rabbit chews on all food, with no quirky preference of greens, nuts or flowers.
The elusive rabbit has a name, which we usually know as life.

When do we know if we are facing an opportunity, when do we know if we are facing a threat – both situations is so subjective, you would never know if you are taking the right choice based on a self, which we base on other selfs, who are we, and who tells us what to think of?

Sunrise, sunset, fireflies blink me a goodbye.
Turning left, turning right, at the junction, let us say goodbye.

Away, Away, Affray

2007-09-14T22:24:00.001+08:00

"I am away, away, affray.
I'm not taking a break, the break is taking me."

- thoughts of the fool will be back after 19th Oct

Finding a Single Constant

2007-06-21T17:59:00.001+08:00

People age, Colors fade, Markets progress, Things Change.
Are there things that will remain unchanged over time?
Is there anything that will remain constant over time?

Voting had began for the new 7 Wonders of the World, with a new revelation that reflects the wants of the people coming for us in 15 days. (7th July 2007)
Architects of wonders that existed for centuries and millenniums, placed on an international stage for a show down.

Merchandises manufactured in China and other developing countries with underpaid workers floods the market places of the developed nations.
Goods produces in another country, miles and miles away, sitting there on the shelf as you walk into the local supermarkets and departmental stores. Even the beef patties on the Mcdonald burgers are flown in from who knows where to wherever you are.

DHL or UPS is able to track your package with precise Global Positioning System and provide an updated status of the item delivery, live.
People expect speed and precision, becoming citizens with an need for 25 hours days and 8 day weeks.

Is there a single constant over time, over our existence on this blue planet, that has not Changed?

Time? Space? Needs? People? Morals?

The only constant over time, is Change.
Even while a tree stands in its exact position, it changes with time.
Even while a chair sits in its place, it changes with time.

A motionless object in our eyes, moves through time, thus is changing.
A certain scenario and moment, moves through time, undetected, is still changing.

Now that we have found the single constant, Change, can we manage it? Or would we be managed by it?

Lifeblog post: Give me my bubble

2007-06-16T17:54:00.001+08:00

Lifeblog post: Give me my bubble
Originally uploaded by jestre

Sat 16/06/2007 17:50 bubble

Give me my bubble i heard you said.
Plug in and plug out. Into the bubble and out of the rumble.
Peace, irritation, mood, move.
We love our bubble.

Will You Come to My Funeral?

2007-05-25T15:50:00.000+08:00

People are dying everyday, every hour, every minute, every second.
People think about dying at the same rate.
Some worry, others do not.
Most, will not plan for their own funeral.

Taking an Asian perspective, What is it in our culture that stops us from thinking about death and feel fine about it?

Wouldn't we want to find out the guest list for our funeral and who actually turned up and cried?

We need to plan for our funeral too.
There are tons and tons of administrative matters that would not cross our worried minds.
Sample document

All these, lies burdens upon our most loved ones.

People think about death and funerals.
christine436

People post it on Yahoo Answers, 33 answers to a question post by a stranger.

Hanging Dog Head, Selling Lamb Meat

2007-04-26T23:18:00.000+08:00

Hanging Dog Head, Selling Lamb Meat

挂羊头卖狗肉 - Hanging Lamb Head, Selling Dog Meat
This chinese idiom is usually used to describe an fraudulent person trying to perform a deceptive act in the name of the good.

Apparently, the same can be done using dogs' head instead of lambs'.
Ewe've been had from ananova.com
"Thousands of rich Japanese women were conned into believing lambs were valuable miniature poodles.
Flocks were imported from the UK and Australia to be sold by an internet company as the latest "must have" pet.
The scam was rumbled when movie star Maiko Kawakami complained on a talk show that her new poodle refused to bark or eat dog food.
She showed photos of the animal and was devastated when told that it was a lamb, reports the Sun."

idiosyncrasy? or just idiocy?

Follow Up
Apparently it might all been a hoax, of a hoax...
Here's a story by AFP
But then again, we all love it when an urban legend goes wild. (Don't we?)
Even Boing Boing got hoaxed on the scam.

Cerebral Soup put forth the whole explanation here.

Where will you be when the music dies?

2007-04-17T14:13:00.000+08:00

Due to a recent decision by the lawmakers, the licensing fees for internet radio sites are almost tripled.
It will be based on per listener per station, making it impossible for small time, personalized station to survive.
Help Save Our New Media!

Click here to act now >>> savenetradio.org

Meaning the meaning

2007-04-14T01:28:00.000+08:00

Meaning the meaning
intention in the mundane life

What is the meaning of meaning?

We are usually not aware of the mechanics of our daily mundane life.
Meaning is the beginning and the end of communication, thus as it is, of life.
there is no meaning, without a mind.

The mind is like the workings of time.
Time moves without us seeing it.
You can see the clock moving, representing time. Still, it is not time you are looking at.
Meaning come forth from the mind.

One would grab hold of a meaning, package it with words or images, for another to understand.
Meaning holds its own weight, Without the intervention of a being.
Meaning is weighed, by others who receive it. It matters not what is said, so much as what is heard, saw and understood.

We are not looking at how we can apply meaning, just the meaning of meaning itself.

what does meaning means for you?

Discing aTrophy

2007-04-13T01:33:00.000+08:00

Discing a Trophy

As i took on a puff of smoke, i passed by a cleaner.
He had a trophy in his right hand, and a rubbish bag on his left, with a peculiar expression while looking at the trophy.

A puzzled expression, "why is this trophy thrown away?"

Tokens like trophies, medals, plagues, certificates, buttons are often given out as a form of encouragement and recognition. They appear at sports meets, appreciation dinners, graduation ceremonies, events and well, weddings.

Encouragements and recognitions, tools of encouragement and recognition.
Tools.

Do they mean much to each individual? Yes, i would say. For people like encouragements and recognitions. They are like little presents for our ego. "good job, now you have the boasting rights"

Does it really matter in the long run?

Maybe yes. Maybe no.

We often forget easily, more so for happy things than for sad things, positive things than for negative things, weddings than funerals, victories than defeats.

We are inert, our bodies and minds seek only for self satisfaction.

New Age of Consumerism

2007-04-10T01:31:00.000+08:00

The new age of consumerism. Customization.

Gone will the days where you see ten or hundred other ppl carrying the same latest "limited" edition bag/phone/laptop as you are.

Manufacturers will need to employ the skills of employers who are able to tend to customers' needs and well, able to build what they need there and then.

If the nature of the business permits, each shop would effectively become a mini production location. Talk about globalization. Examples? Well, fashion industrial can be one of those affected by the change. Customer test a top, find it a little loose or tight, they can have the option to have one done to their measurement within an hour.

Mobile phone industry might be hit too. Come another six months, consumers might be seeing more convergence devices that can hold more data in their hands. You need a twenty gig model with extra ram and higher density battery? No problem. Your working environment requires you to bring no camera? We'll remove it for you. Need more privacy with a big screen device? We'll place a built in privacy screen for you.

Need additional business software? Done.

Why would you want something that everyone else can get when you can have something that truely belongs to you, and you alone?

Analog >>> Digital

2007-01-14T17:51:00.000+08:00

There was a time, when people wrote with feathers, then with pencils, pens, typewriters, then a computer keyboard.

In this digital age, communication is all about being digital. whereas in actual situation, people think in an analog manner. (lest the computer programmers that can read 1s and 0s like ABC)

are we ready encoders for everything analog into something digital?

what is it that gets lost from stage to stage?
does something get lost from stage to stage?

our ability to exercise critical thinking?

can we setup a hypothesis and say that
"technology is a deterrent to critical thinking?"

why go for slow when we can have fast and good?
is slow and good necessary better than fast and good?

All straight lines are man-made.
There is no single element or phenomena in this World that is 100% straight.
take a walk in a park, have a stroll by the beach, look at the surrounding, breath, listen.

nothing is flat in this world. even the light waves that are emitting from your screen comes in sine waves. (or cosine waves...i can't remember)

Is it all about Numbers and Rankings?

2006-12-06T11:35:00.000+08:00

In our current society, numbers and rankings are required for reports and justification of investments.

We use them to convince others with figures collected from surveys and consensus researches.
The figures are disreputable. They wouldn't have been published if it had been the case.

Singapore's ranking in world service standards drops to 26
What is the article trying to say?
Is it just a reportage on the story?
A tell and that's all article?
Are hard figures and awards self satisfying or a real indication of the service standard in Singapore?

What's with all the numbers and rankings?

In our obsession in quantification, we have successfully detach the human aspect of service.
Although service can be quantified, good service standards should not be quantified by merely figures, charts and graphs.

"How long did you wait before getting served?"
"Did we solve your problem within the first call?"

Questions of this aspect does not tell if we are satisfied with the service we received.
We might have only waited for 5 minutes before being served by a customer service officer with the grump'est face we have seen in the last 10 years. (the only other time we had that is probably when we brought home our result slip filled with F's, and we would probably have that face for the following days or weeks from the punishments issued)

Solving our problem within the first call?
Maybe we were so frustrated with the incapability of the customer service officer that we do not want to carry any form of conversation.

Yes, do not deny it, you have been on the phone with an officer that asked you more questions than you do. (even after waiting for more than 10mins with the automated voice telling you "thank you for waiting, all our customer service officers are engaged at the moment..etc")

The best thing happens when the officer actually ask you to go to the company website for more information. Well, you have experienced this before, surely.

Greetings with an Automated Smile

2006-11-24T12:23:00.000+08:00

You walked into a store, walked pass one or two service staffs, each with a blank face, rushing from point A to point B.

Being unsatisfied with the treatment, you asked for the manager...and so on and so fore...fine
You also proceed to lodge a complaint at CASE, just for the sake of proving your unhappiness...fine

The authority decided to established an award system to push things through.
The ministers cooned about tourism and all.

and then again:
You walked into a store, walked pass one or two service staffs, each with an automated smile, rushing from point A to point B.

Automated~ Rushing~ Service?
Please help me to link those three words.

Why is it so hard for us to get good service in Singapore?
Is it the culture? Is it the stress? Is it about being Asians serving Asians?

perhaps this is the reason why people are usually blanked face at work?
Unhappy people 'make the best workers'
article from BBC news as per 13 June, 2001

Maybe, just maybe, there is a deeper insight into why Great Service hardly comes by.

Next write up will be on>>>
Singapore's ranking in world service standards drops to 26
what is the article trying to say? it's just a reportage on the story? a tell and that's all article?
are hard figures and awards self satisfying or a real indication of the service standard in Singapore?

Self Talk: "I want to be a writer."

2006-11-17T00:01:00.000+08:00

Time for a little self talk~ (first time i'm doing this...i think)
Since 6 months back, my subconscious had been telling me one thing, "I want to be a writer."

Along the way, i talked to many people and well, got a fair bit of responses from both sides of the fence.
Lester's was the most supportive of them. (and still is - thanks Lester)

I started to write then, because we concluded that the only way to be a writer is well~ start writing. Thus, the birth of this blog. (after lots of email bouncing between Lester and me)

Today, i was listening to twit (with my mobile), and one of the guest was Dr Jerry Pournelle. (read more on him by clicking his name, or well...google it)

To shorten things up, i got interested in knowing more about him and well~ googled his name and came to this article:How to get my job: By Jerry Pournelle, July 1999

How did i feel after reading the article?
Well, for one, i get a lot of ego popping at me from the article. (but he sure deserved it)
The main point is, it's effective writing, enough to make me blog it.

Do you want to be a writer or an author too?
If you want to badly, you can/will/should/could/would do it. (it'll sound familiar after you have read the article)

"It had never been a question of yes or no, it's more want or don't want..."
Would i be able to achieve a self-fulfilling prophecy?
I know, i want to achieve that.

saklas aka zann aka jestre

twoXpose - eXpose eXchange!

2006-11-14T21:29:00.000+08:00

the expose exchange is on! :)

here're some samples from past exchanges.
TaKing xXx yonlu
sathea xXx rchlbrau

Science of Consumerism

2006-11-13T16:46:00.000+08:00

You are an aspiring online business entreprenuer, eager to please your customers in a way that your competition would never think of.

Chance are, if you can think of something you feel is innovative, someone else would be thinking of the same thing as well.
Its only a matter of who has the faster hands/fingers/feet.
In order to bring a plan to live, we have to call upon the power of Science, the immerse understanding of a specific X or Y.

Is there a Science to Consumerism?

Well, you might be thinking,
"what is this person talking about?"
"Science? consumerism? huh"

Pretty much of everything we see, hear, smell or touch has to do with Science.
And the Science is controlling all of us.

There is a reason behind every step we take, every decision we make, even if we are not aware of it. Chances are, we are usually not aware of it.

Somewhere, somehow, someone, is thinking of the Science to control our very thought without us being aware of what is happening.

Are you in control of your life? Or are you controlled by the Science of Consumerism?

Related to Equation of Emotion - Gibberish Dibberish Fish

Equation of Emotion - Gibberish Dibberish Fish

2006-11-13T16:14:00.000+08:00

Equation of emotion
define parameters:
temperature
location
age
number of people at location
level of interaction with surrounding
level of cooperative with corresponding party

objective is to quantify emotion at a fixed location

useful application:
introduce a condusive environment for consumers

how to verify the usability of the equation?

Homeless - part deux

2006-10-31T16:46:00.000+08:00

Homeless - part deux [continuation from Homeless]

"Things were not the way it had been."
The one sentence that will stand on its own without concrete dispute for years to come.

Changes, involutely, are indispensable to maintain an constant improvement to our lives. People climb up their ladder of needs, that is their rights.
Question comes; At what expense should this rate of change comes about?

Vietnam, ten years ago, still had cyclists rolling down its sunray filled street.
China, ten years ago, on the very day that this is written, was about to reclaim their lost pride of a hundred years, China to return as the main force in economy and wealth.

At what rate of change is it possible for a seamless switch for People?
A third of China got hit by acid rain, with more percentage of China expecting an impact on their lives soon. The presence of acid rain brings about a change of lifestyle for those affected. The crops that feeds the mouths of millions will, well, turn sour.

Rapid changes brings about rapid need for changes, vicious cycle.
Would you trade wealth for joy?

At the end of it all, what is wealth?

Looking for the new pot of gold

2006-10-31T16:39:00.000+08:00

It had been 15 years since the first webpage was put online.
15 years later, now, web2.0 is gaining its foothold into our daily lives, without us noticing much.
Along with better intergration between platforms and devices, this generation of youth are truly bornt in a web-enabled era.

are you a gmail user?
are you a yahoo mail user? (they released yahoo mail beta recently)
have you heard of flickr?

What can we expect to do with all these...things??
I bet you are having a "so what" written all over your face as well.

I would say, this is the interim period, while manufacters and software companies wait for consumers (us) to bite onto the next big thing.
The next big thing is not here, yet.

Would love to use a virtual desktop that can be shared across any number of PCs you use? (YouOS)
Like to keep a digital diary on what you did, who you talked to, the food you had, the sounds you heard on a chronological order? (Nokia Lifeblog)

Once again, i believe in minimalism in consumerism.

The pot of gold would appear when we would be able to do what we want, with ease.

fotologue.jp

flickr.com

youOS

Yahoo Beta

Gmail Beta (still~~)

Nokia Lifeblog

Nokia Park Wifi

Back to Normal

2006-10-25T10:23:00.000+08:00

17 Oct, 18 Oct, 19 Oct, 20 Oct, 21 Oct, 22 Oct, 23 Oct...there goes 7 days.

It had been such a great meet up with Dajo, Ruud and Robbert.
It's a pity there wasn't enough time, which seems to always be the case when one is enjoying themselves.

At times, it felt a little surreal, to have such good friends, in a virtual world, and then bring it into real life.

Would we meet again?
The answer, is of course a Yes.

When? now that is the harder answer to give.

[view the toxpose live moblog]

Flickr > Beta Blogger

2006-10-19T02:18:00.001+08:00

There was some technical difficulties today and we were not able to have a Live Blog.
Fault finding right now.

Dajo Robbert and Ruud will be Live from tomorrow onwards!

0329hr 19 Oct 06
Fault finding completed.
Lifeblog > Flickr > Blogger Beta interface not in sync

Solution:
toxpose live blog is now migrated to
http://toxpose.blogspot.com

Apologies for all the incovenience.

Simple things

2006-10-13T12:50:00.000+08:00

Simple things
Taken by saklasthefool.

Mon 09/10/2006 18:15 simple things

Somewhere last week, while i was shuttling around the region, the bus fare increased at an estimated 2.5%. This is to counter the petroleum increment of 5% over the last quarter.

What does this means to the average housewife and salary taker?
5 to 7 cents tops, per bus ride, individually.
10 to 14 cents tops, per day, individually.
30 to 42 cents tops, per family of 3.
9 to 12.60 dollar per month.

The problem is, this is all that the policy makers sees. Individually. Per household, the people can afford it.
So there shouldn't be a problem.
Or is there?

Well, taking into consideration that the average person probably does not know how they can voice out against the fare hike.
Given that the average person would not dare to voice out their concerns to the authority.
Given that the authority, one that is supposed to understand the heartlanders the most.
Would you say that it is okay?
"okay", that's the simple word, one that an average person would understand.
The fare hike? Well, the average person might not even have a chance to voice out even if they understood.

Constructive Instructive

2006-10-09T12:22:00.000+08:00

Constructive Instructive
People making constructive comments, what valuable assets they are.

In my opinion and from some of my readings:
Disagreeing for the sake of doing so, the "no man".
Agreeing for the sake of doing so, the "yes man".
Sitting on the fences and jumping to majority rule, the "see-how man", opportunitists.
Swimming the upstream, going with the minority, the "surviver".
Saying things that rallies a crowd and winning their opinion, the "motivator".

Speaking what is on their mind without a solution; do you have one near you?
If you do know someone, who is able to speak their mind in front of you, to give you a constructive comment on your work, your character, your crafts; i hope you take it all in with good faith.

It is human nature, to want to listen only to things that we like.
It is also human nature, to criticize, without much thought on the difficulties that the other might be facing.

What can we do to make things better for one and all?
Of course, most of us would know that it is impossible to please all, for you would most likely run into the "please none" wall, and have a bleeding nose.

Can you make the best out of what you have and steer away from the risk of growing such a big nose that blocks your vision?

Back on track

2006-10-07T05:39:00.000+08:00

Back on track
Image by saklasthefool.

Sat 07/10/2006 05:37 back on track

The fool is back on track to writing.
Watch this space for more thoughts of a fool.
Next deadline is due for the first draft.
I do not make sense?
Of course i don't usually do, unless you think like me too.

Exit

2006-09-27T19:08:00.000+08:00

Exit
Image by saklasthefool.

Wed 27/09/2006 18:58 emergency exit

What is the difference between a local white collar worker vs a foreign white collar worker?
The pay check at the end of the month?
The level of complacency and attitude?
The altitude towards an issue?
The ability to exercise lateral thinking to solve a problem?
Maybe it is all of the above.
Generally though, i would say it is the ability to look at a problem with an alternate viewpoint and the patience to solve a problem.
Working people in Singapore simply do not cut in when it comes to fair negotiation.
They would either start to take things personally, turn emotional and lose the aspect or simply get lost on the possibility in getting the hammer to strike directly on the pin.
They are over meticulous in founding out why, and forgo the urgency to address the immediate problem.
There must be a precedence, a regulation, a rule book, an instruction booklet, an academic qualification, something in black and white with a signiture or seal at the bottom of the page(s).
Are you guilty?
Please do not ask me,"so how do i tell?", i'm not going to give you a walk-thru like it's a RPG game.

Break

2006-09-26T10:50:00.000+08:00

Break

~time to complete my graduation project
i would be off till 2nd week of oct 06

NEET

2006-09-11T19:03:00.000+08:00

NEET
Image by saklasthefool.

Mon 11/09/2006 18:42 neet

Neet - Not in employment, education or training.
Is this the new time bomb of our ages?
In spite of the development of our society, there exist a new breed of people that lost their hope on their very own existence.
Neets is real and is not to be ignored.
In countries where social security is not available, neets are usually older, lost their relations either through death or isolation. Some come to become beggars or simply do nothing. They do not care much other than their next meal.
In countries where social security helps out the needy, neets comes into the picture in the form of a younger demographic. They might be children of working class parents that never had enough time to even remember that they had a child. They do not care about food, money or what not. There is no purpose in life.
Neets are practical in their own rights. What is the point of studying, working, pro-creating new generations of helpless souls?
There simply isn't a reason in their mind for life. They would rather die, but the ones that dared had already done so. Thus neets are so lack of care that they do not even think of ridding themselves from this society.

The more interesting note is that, neets appear only in one type of society: the ones that had already been developed and is full of dreams, hopes, free market, over-running money, food, electricity, quality education, first class honors, smart people with accomplishments, in short, a developed society where accomplishments and merits are highly sought after and respected. Strive high and be rewarded.

What exactly is wrong?
What exactly went wrong?
Is this the side effect of meritocracy?
Do we discount them from our society?
Do we put back the goal in their lives?

Social Tolerance or Social Ignorance

2006-09-07T13:14:00.001+08:00

Krabi01Sep06065
Image by jestre aka zann.

Social tolerance or social ignorance?

I just came back from a trip in Krabi, Thailand
During the trip, i had this conversation on religious topics with a friend, which in turn sparked a thought in my mind;

Tolerance demands understanding,
Ignorance is the direct inverse of that

Singaporean, do we have tolerance to the different practice of other religions?
Ignorance Perhaps.
No doubt there are multitudes of cultures and religions in Singapore, we grew up in an environment where a major festive from all religion is made a national holiday.
But people seldom or never bothered to truly understand what other people's culture and religion are about.

The pointing finger? Lies in education and parenting.
"Don’t ask, walk away, don’t be rude"
Instead of a proper explanation of what is going on, we were taught and programmed to either not rise questions or simply to mind our own business.

What is Buddhism? Taoism? Christianity? Islam? Hinduism? Jewism?…etc

We see different people celebrating different festivals.
We see different religion performing difference rituals.
Do we care? Do we seek to understand? Do we question? Or do we undermine?

We simply do not care.

When Green turns Blue

2006-08-31T18:29:00.000+08:00

When Green turns Blue
Image by saklasthefool.

Thu 31/08/2006 18:15 green to blue

"When rainy days come, would you still be singing you love my smile?"
Modern chronic depression, a term that was unfound till recent years. What is it doing to us all?
Whereas depression had been present for years, chronic is the word we should be watching out for.
Chronic cough, is usually caused by a dusty environment or well, by inhaling lots of smoke from cigarettes. Dust and smoke, both which are caused by us.
It would stop if ample abstain time is achieved.
What about chronic depression?
Is it inherent from our environment, lifestyle, belief, teachings...etc?
Did we do upon ourselves a disease that stains our mind and threatens our lives?
Or are we being programmed to follow a path to our own dismiss?

Homeless

2006-08-25T18:29:00.000+08:00

Homeless
Image by saklasthefool.

Fri 25/08/2006 18:14
Homeless

As per reported by Singapore Statistics dated August 2006, Consumer Product Index has risen by 2%.
In good old english, it means that things at home cost 2% more expensive than it was a year ago.
Now, the key word comes in, "Most" of us.
When the case could have easily been "All" of us.

Bolts and Nuts for the day

2006-08-25T02:05:00.000+08:00

sungei rd old man 1
Image by jestre aka zann.

Somewhere in December 2005, i was into a new form of photography - SX70 time zero manipulation aka Pola-Painting.

Unfortunately, Polaroid Cooperation decided to terminate the production of the film that enabled this form of instant art.
Time zero film is still available, but they are no longer the same ones that are malleable.

more examples of pola-painting

Old style of Life

2006-08-19T14:26:00.000+08:00

Old style of Life
Image by saklasthefool.

Years ago, when i was still in primary school, a hair cut costed S$4. (roughly 2 euros)

The barber is usually an Indian man with silver hair and a pair glasses for see me better with.
The seats in the barber shop had those vintage looking state of the art barber chair with flexible height adjustment and inclination adjustment. (always wanted to buy one, refurish it and place it right in the middle of an empty room - which, i do not have anyway)

He would use his scissors for snipping off my fringe and top, then proceed to use the electric razor to shave off my back and sides, ending with the usual question, "side burn, want?"

Come 1990s, a new trend of barbers came onto the scene in Singapore. They were not longer called barbers, they were hair dressers, in a hair dressing boutique.
Those used to be places where my mum would go, but not my dad. Man would go to barber shops with the friendly Indian man that speaks in 3 words sentences.

Then we move on to late 1990s, express hair cutting booth becomes popularized. All it cost is S$10 (around 5 euros), and you would have a hair cut done in 10 mins.
Typically, you would walk into the booth, whip out a ten dollar note, slot it into a queue dispensing machine and, wait for your turn.
There would be an indicator light that looks like a traffic light with Red, Yellow and Green.
Red means that you'll be served in 20mins or more.
Yellow means that you'll be served in 10mins or more.
Green means that you'll be served within 5mins.
This is a high tech self programming hair cutting system, wala, welcome to the new world of automation.
Automation in Hair Cutting industry, people would have laughed at the idea back in the old days.

Imagine the weird sense of deja vu when i come across this barber shop. (in picture)

the photo of the JBK barber shop sits on Dunlop St, Singapore

Waiting for the little green man

2006-08-18T14:36:00.000+08:00

Waiting for the little green man

"that's a really thought provoking movie..."
# reaches a pedestrian crossing.

"ya, can you imagine that it is real and people can really control their lives like this."
# still waiting behind the crowd at the pedestrian crossing, waiting for the little green man.

"the DVD would be worth buying. Hrmm...i haven't manage to find Mr Rain Man...think i should go to froogle and put that in my wish list, you'll know what to do eh? Ha"
# little red man is still standing there with his hands by his sides.

The impatience sets in and pushed me looking for an explanation.
The pedestrian crossing i was at would usually take less than 30 seconds to change from red to green.

Well, guess what?
Nobody activated the traffic light button.
We are talking about having more than 10 people, waiting, on each side of the road, and nobody bothered to take a quick check on whether the traffic light button had been activated.

So a thought flashed past my mind;
"Is this the reason why there are no innovators in Singapore?"

People are always waiting for someone else to do something about their environment.
People are waiting for someone else to do something first.
If nothing is happening, people simply Wait.

This is the reason why the leaders in Singapore are worried.
We are all programmed to be followers.
Robots that are satisfied doing the correct job, the correct thing, bring home the correct pay, watching the correct show, drinking the correct drink, talking the correct language, typing the well~ correct blog...etc

Nobody wants to stand out, nobody wants to take a lead.

If you write a thesis, you need to take reference from a published article, even if the idea you have to totally new in the market, you need that reference.

If you are applying for a job, you need to have prior experience, being confident on being able to learn on the job is not an acceptable and correct trait to have.

If you are applying for a credit card, you need to show your past year earnings, your current salary simply isn't enough to assure the credit card company that you would be able to pay on time.

Follow a fixed set of rules and you would have a comfortable life.
Be a doctor, a lawyer, a civil servant, a banker, a financial controller, because those jobs worked.

Do not be a singer, a writer, a photographer, a hair-stylist, an artist, because those jobs are only for dreamers, and dreamers are loser, "What are the chances that you would be successful?"

Then the ultimate comes, mass media manipulation, and lack of a thinking brain.
Treat your child with love and tender, becomes, treat your child with 100% love and tender at the expense of basic respect and discipline.
This resulted in a new generation of children that grew up watching some idol programs and yearned to become the next star, because they are being told to do so.

They are all aspire-ers, in another words, wanna-bes.
No problem with that, someone who wouldn't even know better to check on the traffic light button and prefer to wait.

Are you the person to check on the traffic light button, or the person standing there waiting for someone to make something happen?

Doing its job - Minimalism in Consumerism

2006-08-18T12:39:00.000+08:00

Look at the products you have in hand right now.
You have a cell phone that might be capable of logging on via a 3G network, wi-fi to your very own virtual space, on top of the basic functions of making phone calls and sending SMS.
You most probably would own a Personal Computer in the form of a desktop or a laptop, serving as a bridge to a global village via a broadband connection, via ADSL, Cable modem with well, cable or wi-fi.
You would also, most likely own a digital still camera or video camera.
And of course, a portable media player that house your favorite music or video or games. Matter of fact, your portable media player might even house your entire collection of music, animes, serial, eBook...etc

So the question comes;
Do You, ever faced problems with wanting to understanding how the products work and how You can syncronise all the devices, just so that they work properly?
Do You enjoy this process and like to boast to your friends on how you manage to do it?

Or well, do You simply want to get the darn stuff working so that you can get on with getting what you really want, entertainment on the go, anytime, anywhere?

We probably might not be able to pinpoint to a single manufacturer or product on when we, as consumers, have to start climbing the learning curve, just so to make use of the features on an item that we've paid for.

When was the last time you bought something and all its functions simply work with a touch of the button(s)?

People comes in shapes and sizes.
Some of us, like to play around with configurations and customise a product to be uniquely ours.
Some of us, simply want the product to work without an in-depth understanding on all the new technologies that is behind the fantastic matchbox sized music player.

Somehow, most of us have become geek, the acceptable cool geek that makes things work, or are we really so?

Most of us would not need to understand the definition of 3G, or wi-fi, or AD2P, or bluetooth, or mp3, mp4, atom, ajax, rss, css, xhtml, java...etc

We just simply want to get our hands on an item, switch it on and presto~
I can call, SMS, email our friends and family.
I can surf the net, blog, have a live chat, post a discussion, share photos, share videos, criticise the governemt, praise the new movie, find the nearest toilet, decide on the best food place, hear the sound of the whales at the other side of the globe, smell the fresh air on the Swiss Alps...etc (ermm, not the smell part, yet)

As it goes, you might be agreeing with what i am saying here.
Or you might be disagreeing and maintain the stand that knowing how to configure your stuff is good.

I would say, Minimalism is good. (some might say anything with -ism is bad)

I do not want to know the latest news on silicon performance and how the scientists and researchers broke the latest download speed limit.
I want to share my puny views with the rest of the World, waiting to have someone to challenge my ideas or concur with me.

It's a camera, i want to know i get a decent photo.
I want to be able to share the photo.

Do not make me fish in the net for the latest user guide, step-by-step instructions, call the help line...etc

Now, wouldn't you agree with me on that?

Doing its job

2006-08-18T11:45:00.000+08:00

Doing its job
rights with saklasthefool.

Fri 18/08/2006 11:32 doing the job

Bunch of tourists taking photos of a local landmark.
The key here is taking photos.
What's more important for people?
The functions of the camera?
The looks of the product?
The stability of the product?
End of the day, it is the photo that matters.
Minimalism, can this be the new direction for consumerism?
Is this what you want?

Status of testiment

2006-08-17T22:26:00.000+08:00

Status of testiment
rights withsaklasthefool.

What can i do when the screens of life stares back at me?

Lifeblog > Flickr > Blogspot

2006-08-17T18:26:00.000+08:00

Lifeblog > Flickr > Blogspot
Thru' the eyes of saklasthefool.

Thu 17/08/2006 18:24 test with atom2blog

Trying to hit for a seamless upload for a true moblog.
Wish me luck, else i'll need to go study up on widget, atom and html, doh...

Update at 2148hr
Works darn well~

Prince of Wales

2006-08-17T14:09:00.000+08:00

Prince of Wales
Originally uploaded by saklasthefool.

Prince of Wales
Backpackers' street of Singapore.
Located along Dunlop st, right at the end of Little India, PoW is considered one of the landmarks in the area.

Backpackers come from all round the world to bask in its warmth hospitality.

Cafe and Rest House in the day,
Pub resturant with Live band in the night.
and well, 100% resthouse past late night.

Trishaw rolling

2006-08-16T23:59:00.000+08:00

Trishaw rolling
Originally uploaded by saklasthefool.

Bangkok has it tuktuks.
Colombo has its 3 wheelers.
Ho Chi Minh City has it rickshaws.
Singapore has its trishaws.

Every country has their own form of affordable personalised mass transport to cater for their people.

Laissez faire

2006-08-16T14:59:00.000+08:00

Laissez faire, originally uploaded by saklasthefool.

Little Corner in Little India, Singapore.
Right beside Dunlop Street, the Backpackers' haven in Singapore.

More places will be "uploaded" soon.

Curtain of Communication

2006-08-15T20:47:00.000+08:00

Modern Communication, what revelations it brought.
As the slogan of Nokia goes, modern technology is about connecting people. (by the way, I’m penning this down with a Nokia mobile phone.)

The inventors of modern communication would never have thought of all the social implications that had risen, especially in the case of mobile phones.

People are being brought closer together than ever before.
Wherever you are, someone else is simply one touch away.
One touch of a phone pad that is.

In fact, as you are reading this article, a worried parent in London might even be tracking down their children via their mobile phone using the latest service offered by Disney Mobile.
Communication in this case, does not even require verbal exchange. One touch on their phone, and mom or dad would feel at ease.

As all things goes, nothing is perfect, whatever brings a pro brings a con.
Modern people, if I may call us by this name, uses and owns technology as ancient people invented fashion. Tools of communication transformed from a luxury item to an emotional cringe on.

Modern people, feel insecure without the assurance of the person at the other end.
We too, draw a curtain of communication, when our surrounding is not appealing to us.
We start to send short messages to our friends, we start calling our family over the phone, we plug into the built-in radio, we log onto the internet, we play the newly downloaded game, or well, we start downloading the new game…etc

How often do we see a person connecting to their mobile phone?
How often do you, draw up your curtain of communication to dissipate yourself in a crowd?

I, for one, draw my curtain whenever I can, wherever I can.
I become a modern hermit hidden in my shell of technology, in the form of a mobile phone.
Whenever I am feeling uncomfortable at a public function, I would even pretend to type a short message on my phone, just so that I become detached from my environment and start to look busy. This in turn, simply allows me to retreat deeper in my own self-fullness. There goes my social skills development.
Somehow, I do not think I am the only person whom is doing that.
One would only have to get on board a public transport, and the evidences are plentiful.
When you have a chance, count the number of people detaching themselves with their mobile phone while on a train.
I am sure your ten fingers would not do the job.

“So what does this matter to me?” I heard you said.
Well, for one, there is no warmth in public places. Everyone is simply too busy on their mobile phone, or trying to make themselves busy by retreating into their private space.
This lack of interactive with a stranger will be something that we would be missing out.
When we indulge in shutting off, this causes us to lose a chance to brighten up our day. Can you recall the last time you had said “Hi” to a stranger when your eyes meet, or even bring a causal smile to a weary face? It did not happen to someone else, and it probably would not happen to us too.
We had grown so accustomed to minding our own business

As the warmth that keeps our positive humanity gets devoured by the technology invented by us within such a short time, what about our future generations that grow up with it?
Are we prepared for a future of connectivity, fueled solely by electronic networks that seek to take over our lives?

It is beyond the possibility of return, like a horse that tasted sugar would never be satisfied with plain old hay. We would not even talk about the pony that grew up with sugared water for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Children of this generation grow up a lot faster than we can imagine. They also grow up in a generation where the western powers set up examples of violence over peace being the right way of life. They would either miraculously understand the implications of violence, shrouded behind the curtain of communication to close off the rest of the world with their fantasy of becoming an idol, or, they would grow up to be advocates against peace, buried in their distorted righteousness where the fist rules over words.

It is time to relearn the value of doing to others with what you want others to do to you and draw back that curtain of communication.
The people of today would need to show a valid reason for our children of the world, that a balance needs to be struck between the connectivity and real humanity.

Do your part; smile the next time your eyes meet that of a passerby, you would never know if that will re-sow the seed of simple humanity.

LifeBlog xXx Flickr xXx Blogspot

2006-08-15T20:31:00.000+08:00

This is the start of a moblog using relaying to , a fancy photo sharing thing, and then onto , where you are at now.